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DeviceGuru writes "It looks like Nokia is intent on scoring success with a Linux-powered Internet tablet. The company has unveiled the N810, its third attempt at hitting a home run with the concept. The new model adds a slide-out hardware keyboard, and also a built-in GPS receiver and FM transmitter (for in-car listening), among a number of other enhancements (such as a faster CPU and more memory). At this point, the device is positioned as an email and browsing tool, a social networking aid, a GPS, a VoIP phone, and a multimedia player (and streamer, thanks to built-in WiFi). Will this prove any more successful than the two previous iterations of this offering?"

Personally, I don't see the attraction of this kind of device. The core functionality seems to be webbrowsing while you're traveling. That may be nice, but is it really so important that you make a dedicated device for it? Aparently Nokia seems to think so (and Apple too, in a way), but I just don't see it. Can anyone lusting for this device tell me what the attraction is?
Also, how do these things compare to the devices on the Japanese market? During my recent trip to Japan I saw a similar device on display all over Japan. Sorry, I don't know a brand name, but clearly vendors also want to fill this niche in the Japanese market.

I have a 770 [wikipedia.org], and am very happy with it. But the lack of a keyboard seriously limits its uses.

This new device looks like a larger version of my cell phone, the Nokia 9300 [wikipedia.org]. The problem with the 9300 is that it doesn't run Linux. The N810 does.

There are a lot of people who want an affordably-priced UMPC. I think Nokia is going in the right direction with this. Eventually, they will market it (or the a later version) as a UMPC, but they are adding features incrementally, and not pretending that it is anything special... yet.

I dunno, the last couple of iterations seem to have been pretty popular...

Personally a big part of the appeal of the device is that it *isn't* a cellphone - PDA type phones are too big to use comfortably as a phone as my old HTC Universal can attest (and I'm not exactly a small guy either)...

Instead its a nice open platform thats small enough to sling in my bag or a jacket pocket and I can pair it up with any phone I like for mobile internet connectivity away from a Wireless AP. Unlike the iPhone I can install the apps I want on a screen wide enough to view most web pages comfortably without needing to horizontally scroll.

Admittedly I'm biased, I was just about to buy an N800 when the rumors of this one broke so am holding out til the N810 is in the wild before I make a decision which one to go for...

I have a 770 and am waiting impatiently for a new N800 to ship. ($275CDN vs $500 and another month, I'll wait on the N810.)

I have three machines at home: A PC that I almost never use, a dual-boot MacBook and a server for media (and, as it turns out, UPnP music streaming.)

The 770, which is a dated, slow version of the N800 which is now a dated, slower version of the N810 constantly amazes me. I'm not using it as I had intended, but I'm using it a lot.

For starters, because I already had a UPnP server running, I get full access to all of my music on a half pound device. I don't have to sync to it, I can access this from anywhere in the house. For me, this has been very convenient and has cut in on MP3 player usage.

It's also very capable as a browser, and I find myself rarely bothering to go to the basement to grab my 5.5lb laptop. Why bother when all I need to do is look up the weather?

It can also be made to be a decent little PDA. With GPE, I can sync with Evolution and keep my calendar and address book in sync. With this, it has finally killed off my use of a Palm.

Paired with a Bluetooth keyboard, it's a full little computer. With RDesktop, VNC, SSH and an XTerm, I have used it to patch servers at work, write documents etc. This isn't like using a PDA, this is like using a small computer. In fact, being a little Linux box, it's a lot of fun to tinker with this thing. (If that's your cup of tea. it is mine.)

Yes, all of the above could be done with a laptop, which maybe even cheaper, but it wasn't necessary and wasn't as convenient for me.

Now, for $500ish, you might have a hard time justifying the purchase, but I paid $150 for the 770 and the N800 is selling for as little as $220. That's cheap for what is a fully-functional (for me) little Linux box.

Oh, and for me, one of the best parts is that it's _NOT_ a phone. No monthly plans, no extra fees. In fact, the only thing that bugs me about the N810 is the built-in GPS that I don't want (but could be handy when traveling)

Right now, you're correct. The core functionality is browsing. However, the thriving Maemo community is doing all sorts of weird and wonderfully unexpected things with these little machines. It's still not 100% essential for me, and if I needed one machine to do it all, I'd still grab the MacBook, but more and more I reach for the 770 instead.

I love my N800 ($400 when I bought it), which does a lot without having to carry a 3kg laptop.For instance:0. Access the web at 800 pixels using Firefox w/Gecko(runs Javascript just like ur other box)1. SSH into the web servers i manage.2. 8GB of music (though it can hold 16GB)3. email, skype4. write python and mono programs5. Watch videos

With the 810 (another $100), you get GPS, a new proc etc.

So depending on how you use it - it could be easier and therefore better than your 6 pound laptop.

WiFi sucks as an area service, it really does. Here in Toronto they tried rolling out WiFi in the downtown core, I subscribed to it for a week just for kicks and see how cool it would be to be online everywhere, and was sorely disappointed. The limited range of even a boosted WiFi antenna means that they need to have a bajillion WAPs just to maintain some semblance of coverage, and in the end signal strength was piss poor overall.

Even at a slow walking pace, I can probably cross through the range of 6-7 routers during the course of a phone call. Does WiFi have the capability to deal with these problems? From what I experienced, no, hell no.